Last week I was writing an appointment in my calendar (yes, I still keep a paper calendar; you can read about it HERE) when I saw something move on our deck out of the corner of my eye.  I turned to look and saw this fox.  He was sitting there watching me.  And he watched long enough that I was able to observe him a bit, then decide to set down my calendar, retrieve my phone, and take a picture.  After I snapped the shot, we sat and looked at each other some more before he calmly moved on to explore other parts of my yard.

Now, I live in the mountains, so wildlife in my yard is not a novel thing.  However, when anyone in my family sees an animal that falls into the realm of predator – even if it is a small predator – we have a conversation in which we review how humans should respond if they spot a predator while they’re outside.  That is, we remind our boys of how to react should they see a predator while playing in the yard.

Our biggest concerns are the large predators that roam the foothills in which we live: mountain lions and black bears.  However, the basic advice applies to all animals, as any animal that feels threatened will attack.

We tell our boys:
1) Remember to make yourself look as large as possible (outstretch your arms);
2) Back away slowly;
3) Don’t look away, and
4) Most importantly, DON’T RUN.

We review this information again and again.  Because while it’s easy to remember such advice when you’re inside the house looking out on an animal, we want it to be ingrained in our boys minds when they do eventually meet an animal outside.  Since we all spend so much time outdoors in a natural, open-space environment, it’s likely that they will at some point have such an encounter.  (I wrote about discussing animal predators with kids before, HERE.)

What do you teach your children about interacting with wildlife?